We had a wonderful dinner at the attractive Brasserie Mémère on Sunday, February 27, 2022. Named in honor of his mémère (grandmother), and located in Closter, New Jersey, the restaurant Is a mere 25 miles from Manhattan, 30 miles from Newark, New Jersey, and 30 miles from Greenwich, Connecticut.
Chef Owner Thomas Ciszak, Executive Chef Kevin Takafuji
The ambience is inviting with a casual elegance and sophistication, with three separate indoor dining areas. The stylish 30-foot zinc bar is flanked at either end by chandeliers dripping with ropes of crystals topped with small lampshades, a column with French posters recalls fond memories of Paris, and there are small round tables for more relaxed dining or enjoying cocktails or a coffee. The main dining room features dark hardwood floors, tables with white linens, bentwood chairs, curved booths, and long dark chocolate leather banquettes than run the length of three sides of the room. Art, antiques, live plants, and great jazz music abound in this hidden treasure. There is also a separate dining room at the back of the restaurant which features a very large stunning painting.
Brasserie Mémère
The menu has an excellent selection of hors d’oeuvres that includes such French classics as Escargot "Persillade" and Moules à La Provençale, Savory Tartes, Petites and Grandes Salades, Charcuterie et Fromage, Entrées, Vegetarienne (Vegetarian), Les Garnitures (Side Dishes), and Desserts. There are also Gluten-Free and Vegan items on the menu to appeal to diverse palates and dietary constraints.
The Accountant Mémère 75
The restaurant has a wide selection of Signature Cocktails, which are creative, well-crafted, and beautifully presented. We ordered The Accountant (aka The Porn Star) cocktail, which was made with house-infused vanilla vodka, passion fruit liqueur, passion fruit puree, and lime juice, with a side of prosecco. The cocktail was presented in a Martini glass with the prosecco served separately in a vintage punch cup artfully presented on a small artsy tray. The idea behind the two glasses was that you could add the prosecco to the cocktail or drink them on their own. We tried the cocktail without and with the prosecco addition and both ways were delicious. We also had their Mémère 75, their very tasty version of a French 75, which was made with gin, elderflower, and prosecco that was served in a champagne flute.
Tarte Parisienne
We paired our cocktails with one of their Savory Tartes, the Tarte Parisienne, which had foie gras, red shallot confiture, taleggio, pear slices, and was topped with arugula. The pastry was delectably thin with a rolled edge golden crust that was crisp to showcase the toppings, and when paired with our cocktails, was absolute perfection and a very nice introduction to the style of the restaurant.
Escargots "Persillade"
We continued with two very traditional French classics from the Hors D ‘Oeuvres section on the menu, Escargots "Persillade" and the Moules à La Provençale. The escargots were presented in a garlic-parslied butter in a specially designed escargot dish, with rustic bread for dipping up the very tasty sauce and were very delicious. The restaurant has its own bakery, and the rustic bread was especially delicious with its crispy crust.
Moules à La Provençale
The Moules à La Provençale were P.E.I. (Prince Edward Island) mussels steamed in a rich broth of garlic, thyme, basil, tomato concasse, and accompanied by grilled bread to soak up the broth. We accompanied the escargot and mussels with a side dish of Pommes Frites made from authentic Belgian Bintje Potatoes, from the Les Garnitures section of the menu. The fries were as good as one gets, with crispy golden exteriors and creamy interiors, and were the perfect accompaniment to the escargot and the mussels.
Truite Aux Amandes
For our entrées, we selected the Truite Aux Amandes and the Confit de Canard. The Rainbow Trout was presented with haricots vert, delicata squash, sliced almonds in a rich brown butter, and a lemon half fashionably dressed in a tied lemon wrap. The trout was perfectly fileted, and the combination of flavors of the sweet trout, the brown butter, the earthiness of the haricot vert, and the texture of the sliced almonds, made this dish a standout.
Confit de Conard
Many years ago, (Edward) ordered duck at a restaurant in California that was so fabulous, it set the standard for him that he judged every duck thereafter. Wherever we traveled in the world, if there was duck on the menu, he wanted to try it, yet nothing had compared to the duck in California, that is until he tried the duck at Brasserie Mémère. After his first bite, he sighed with pleasure as his quest for the perfect duck was met. The duck leg was cooked in duck fat and presented with tarbais beans, garlic sausage, pancetta, and a spiced orange glaze, which made the skin delicious and crispy, and more importantly, memorable.
Smoking Daiquiri
The restaurant has an excellent selection of wines by the glass and by the bottle, in addition to the Signature Cocktails, Lo-Proof Cocktails, and Mocktails. As we started the evening with cocktails, we decided to stay with cocktails to pair with our entrées, and had the Smoking Daiquiri made with mezcal, pamplemousse (grapefruit juice), and the Avion En Papier (Paper Airline) made with bourbon, Aperol, amaro, and lemon. Both cocktails were delicious and worked well in our pairings with the trout and the duck.
Kouign Amann Aux Pommes
To finish off our dining experience on a sweet note, our server brought the dessert selection to our table elegantly presented on a plate stand, with a choice of Kouign Amann Aux Pommes, Tahitian Vanilla Crème Brûlée, or Valrhona Chocolat Pot de Créme. There was also a selection of ice creams available. Although we would have loved to have sampled one of everything, prudence prevailed and we split the Kouign Amann Aux Pommes, which was butter pastry filled with chopped cooked apples served warm and accompanied by cognac ice cream. We paired our dessert with a very tasty Mocktail called Oliver’s Chug Jug named for the owners’ son Oliver, which was made with ginger-lime syrup, butterfly pea flower, and soda.
From the start of our dining experience at Brasserie Mémère to the finale, it was an evening marked by excellence. The ambience was warm and inviting, the cocktails and food presentations were outstanding, and the service was attentive, without being intrusion. We cannot wait to return to this oh-so charming restaurant. Bon Appetit!
Brasserie Mémère is open (winter hours): Wednesday through Saturday from 4:00 pm until 10:00 pm, Sunday Brunch from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm, and Sunday dinner from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm. Mémère Express Counter Service is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm. Full-Service Lunch is served Wednesday through Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. Take-out is available. Happy Hour is on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings. The restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday.
For more information or to make a reservation please call the restaurant at +1-201-660-8822 or visit their website: www.brasserie-memere.com.
Brasserie Mémère
107 Vervalen Street (Inside Closter Plaza shopping center)
Closter, New Jersey 07624
United States
Telephone: +1-201-660-8822
Website: www.brasserie-memere.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/brasseriememere
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/brasseriememere
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